Sundays are even more fraught than they used to be – the new drill is that I am to drive my husband up the hill to Mass, then bring the car back and walk up myself. That means what constitutes for him a very early start, and for me, less time to cook lunch -- which must be ready as soon as we get back. We are going to apply for a Disabled Parking Permit which will simplify things considerably but so far, after nearly a week, we haven’t even got the application form.

I enjoyed knitsofacto’s sky photographs and also, although they have nothing to do with knitting, the “From Where I Stand” project on Flickr to which she links. Thanks, Robin. I’ve also had a look at Sky Scarves on Ravelry. I was abashed at how simple-minded mine is, compared to what I found there. People are coding the daily temperature, choosing a significant number of stitches, incorporating patterns. What I like about this project is that it is so simple and do-able. Ten minutes at most, most of which is spent untangling skeins.

Another good thing is that if I get bored and stop doing it, I'll know right away that the project has been abandoned. It's impossible to kid oneself this time with the idea that one will get back to it soon.

I am around the heel of the second anthracite sock, and starting to Oliver it. I remember the first time I turned a heel, at the age of about 12. I had formed a vague impression somehow (from books) that heel-turning was a supremely difficult thing to do. I was astonished to find that all you have to do is follow directions.

When I discovered the Internet and thereby Patternworks and thereby Socka sock yarns, nearly 20 years ago now, I bought a $1 plain-vanilla sock pattern along with the first order of yarn. I have internalised it by now. There were one or two slightly fancy pairs of socks in those 20 years, but I prefer to drift along letting the yarn do the fancy stuff.

I had a moment last night, approaching the heel, when I wondered if I could remember. The first two rows involve some simple numbers. What were they? After that it’s automatic. I remember once driving along a motorway and wondering if I knew how to drive. Which pedal is the clutch? Which the brake? Which foot do I use on which pedal? Fortunately my feet remembered. And I got the numbers right for the heel, last night.

Miscellaneous non-knit

A big Hockney exhibition is about to open at the Royal Academy, or else it already has. The newspapers are full of interviews with him which contain some interesting and amusing stuff. The line I liked best was when he reported his mother saying, when she first came to visit him in LA, “Why doesn’t anybody have their washing out on such a nice day?”

The income tax went swimmingly yesterday – I think I’m finished. I’ll let it marinate for today, and then hope to file it tomorrow morning.

One of the aspects of this so-far easy winter which I am particularly enjoying, is the fact that it really can't be blamed on Global Warming. The previous two winters, here in Scotland, have been of record-breaking savagery. An easy one now can only be One of Those Things -- and very welcome.